The Assassination of Abu Muslim (d.137AH=~755) Abu Muslim Ibrahim bin Usman bin Bashshar was born in the historic town of Asfahan in Khurasaan province. At the tender age of seven, he became an orphan. A saddle-cloth stitcher friend of his father named Isa bin Musa Sarraj brought him up. Abu Muslim soon migrated to Kufa, an important city of Iraq province, in the company of his new guardian. In those days, Banu Umayya dynasty ruled over the entire Islamic world which covered the vast expanse from Egypt and further west to Iran in the east. The Abbasis were running a covert campaign against the mighty Umayyas in the regions of Iraq, Iran, etc. Imam Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas was the supreme leader (124AH – 129AH) of the covert Abbasi dais (dedicated activists who clandestinely called the people to accept the Abbasi leader as their ruler). He had his base at a nondescript village lying between Damascus and Madina, called Hameema. A faithful dai of the antiUmayya Abbasi movement, Qahtaba bin Shubaib chanced upon the Visit scribd.com/musarhad for talented youth Abu Muslim at Kufa while the former was on his more articles on Islam. way to Hameema from Khurasaan. He took the promising youth to Imam Ibrahim at Hameema, who too was much impressed by his Allah-gifted prowess and leadership capabilities. After keeping Abu Muslim in his company for some days, Imam Ibrahim sent him to Khurasaan as the leader of all dais in Khurasaan. Sulaiman bin Katheer, an experienced and respected dai of Imam in Khurasaan, could not get the wisdom of appointing a youth in his formative years as the chief and supervisor of all these senior and veteran dais. He feared the inexperienced youth might put them in danger of being caught, so instead of welcoming their new leader, he asked Abu Muslim to return. However, another old faithful intervened and brought Abu Muslim back after he had started his return journey. Abu Muslim began his job in right earnest. He spread the dais in each and every town and city of Khurasaan and put a new spirit in the covert campaign. In the beginning of 130 AH, he made the clandestine Abbasi movement so powerful that he was in a position to take overt bait (oath of loyalty and obedience) on behalf of Abbasi Imam Abdullah Saffah bin Muhammad, who had succeeded his elder brother Imam Ibrahim in 130 AH after he was caught, arrested and later killed by the Umayyas. Abu Muslim, then organized several successful military campaigns against the Umayyas and other local warlords. He made use of his brilliant political and diplomatic skills as successfully as his military skills, putting one warlord against the other and when both had got weakened after mutual battles, Abu Muslim would easily overpower their remnant forces. By the end of his first year (i.e. 130 AH) itself, Abu Muslim did what others could only dream of. He conquered almost the entire Khurasan province for the Abbasis. Because of this surprise victory, the Abbasis everywhere felt emboldened. Two years later, on Friday, 12 Rabiul Awwal 132 AH (=30 October, 749), Imam Abdullah Saffah, the Abbasi supreme leader gained control over Kufa, and in no time expanded his kingdom over Syria and Arabia. Meanwhile, Abu Muslim lorded over the entire Khurasaan region consisting of Samarqand, Bukhara, Heraat, Sa’ad, Marv, Aamad, etc. on behalf of the Abbasis as their governor (ameer). In 132 AH, when Abu Muslim had greatly consolidated the administration of Khurasaan, he got Sulaiman bin Katheer – a faithful dai, who had insulted him in the past – killed. The supreme Abbasi ruler, Abdullah Saffah – now Khalifa of almost the entire Islamic world – would consult Abu Muslim in every political, military and administrative matter of significance and mostly act according to his advice, while Abu Muslim would independently deal with all matters concerning Khurasaan, without ever soliciting any advice from the supreme ruler. Abu Muslim, in fact, considered himself to be the founder of the Abbasi Khilafat and patron of Khalifa Saffah.
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